Less is Moor

“Bare bones” blatantly describes thedesign elements of Shakespeare on theGrands “Othello" in its current form. Underthe auspices of the Lansing Civic Players, theoffshoot company maximizes its shoestringbudget with a bi-colored cloth backdropand a simple wooden balcony that serves asthe set beneath the dinosaur beams at theRiverfront Park Salt Shed.

With borrowed costumes and barely anyprops, “Othello" is not flashy,but it is structurally sound,from the adequate and sometimesinteresting acting to the straightforwarddirection.

The artistic choice to “modernize”Shakespeare always prompts questionsof necessity. Director Rita Diebler places“Othello in the present, obfuscating thetitle character’s background into the greaterAfrican continent. Thankfully not outfittedwith the traditional blackface makeupoften used by actors playingthe role, Mike Stewartportrays the Moor as a manwhose “differentness” andintense scrupulousness arethe source of hatred and thetool for manipulation by hissnake-tongued friend, Iago,played by the reliable TodHumphrey. Casting Othelloas “different” rather than literally “black”works for this production, although audiencesmay wonder why the present-dayTurks are attacking Cyprus and whethermodernizing isn’t just an excuse to avoidwearing tights.

Stewart physically defines his charactermore than any other actor in the cast,from his confident steps to his raised chinstances. As a result, Stewart’s Othello isalways entertaining to watch, even if cynicscannot always take him seriously. Part ofthis comes from his delivery, which — giventhe outdoor setting — is understandablyloud; as each line is delivered as a boomingpronouncement or an angry shriek, onebegins to root for Iago for easily trickingsuch a melodramatic fool. Lines like "fireand brimstone!" sound as if Stewart is in aWill Ferrell comedy.

That said, Stewart isable to portray his love forhis wife, Desdemona (AmyWinchell), with a very honestintensity. Their combinedchemistry may notalways sizzle, but you dobelieve that it pains him tokill her and pains him evenmore to be told that she wasinnocent from the beginning.

Humphrey, as always, makes every worddistinct and every line clear and understandable.While he switches effectivelyfrom his public face of false honesty to hisprivate sneer full of sinister plotting, he neveranswers the important question of whyIago so despises Othello. Although his dialoguekeeps his real motives vague, even aninternal response on the part of Humphreyto push his motives beyond simple racialprejudices could clarify and intensify theplay’s catalyst.

The rest of the cast members — includingWinchell, Steven Ledyard, AdamBright, Mark Polzin, Kris Vitols, Erica Beck,Angela Wright, Anthony Romero, DannyVanOverbeke and CJ Bernhart — eachplays his or her respective role effectivelyenough. None of the players or pawns particularlystands out, but there are also nosqueaky wheels.

Even the most engaging outdoor productionsmust endure the constant distractionsof the Riverfront Park location, including,but not limited to, police sirens, constructionvehicles and other nearby music performances.To their credit, the cast neverallows these constant irritations to detracttoo much from their performances. Whilevery little of this production rises to theoccasion of being truly memorable, it is byfar one of the best productions from thiscompany in recent memory.

'Othello'

Shakespeare on the Grand 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 8 Adado Riverfront Park Salt Shed. Free. www.lansingcivicplayers.org